A Loveless Ever After
by Amanda N. Lupin
Summary: A post-war marriage law finds Hermione Granger marrying last man on Earth she'd ever think of spending her life with. Will the most brilliant witch of the age & Hogwart's infamous dungeon bat ever find a way to live together without killing one another?
1. Begrudging Man and Unhappy Wife

"I, Tobias Severus Snape, do take thee, Hermione Jean Granger, to be my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, honor and obey, cherish and respect, in richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, so long as I live."

"And I, Hermione Jean Granger do take thee, Severus Tobias Snape to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, honor and obey, cherish and respect, in richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, so long as I live."

"Then by the power vested in me," announced the minister with a smile. "I now pronounce you man and wife, you may now kiss the bride."

Severus leaned in tentatively, nimble fingers gently pulling back Hermione's veil before leaning in for a brief kiss. Hermione forced herself to reciprocate the gesture, even going so far as to pull her new husband closer into her and forcing him to extend the kiss. For what little it might have been worth she needed her parents to believe they were every bit as happy and in love as she had been trying to convince them these past few weeks. Severus shot her a look of incredulity before taking her hand and beginning their walk down the isle.

"May I present to you, Mister and Mrs. Severus Snape."

Hermione heard the words distantly, as though they were being spoken from somewhere far, far away, and forced her feet to move to keep up with Severus' long strides as they walked out of the church. She had insisted on a muggle ceremony to appease her parents who were already having to adjust to their only daughter's sudden engagement and marriage, and found it strange, somewhat surreal even to see all of her friends in Muggle clothing. Severus had had no guests to invite, friends or family. The newlyweds got into the car waiting outside the church before both were finally able to breath a sigh of relief, both knowing it wouldn't last long.

It had been a small service with few guests, but Severus still found it to be a rather expensive charade. He had just wed a child. A girl, who has no more tender feelings for him than she would have spared for a Blast-Ended Skrewt. With the reception at the Burrow to follow in a half hour there was little time for anything, but to change into more practical clothes for which Severus was grateful. They would have to consummate the marriage by the end of the night to meet the Ministry's edict, but Severus had little desire to drag a terrified, heartbroken, and bedraggled girl to the reception with him and content with all her friend's glares, and Merlin knew what else. He was no more what she wanted, than she was for him, it was simply the logical and safest choice.

In some sort of fit of what could only be madness a Ministry higher-up decided to bring back the institution of Wizarding Marriage Law to encourage the re-population of the magical world in the wake of the second war, and it's many casualties. All muggleborns of a certain age must marry a pure or half-blood wizard to discourage future generations of blood-purists. There had been surprisingly few options for the young witch, particularly since the Ministry had it's own list of wizards who'd played dark or shadier roles in the war they hoped to redeem with the favor of young witches. Severus shook his head disgustedly. And some pencil-pusher, despite everything he had done for their side, despite Harry-bleeding-Potter helping to clear his name and get him an Order of Merlin award, had jotted his name down with the other dark wizard lot. Severus had expected the whole thing to blow over. Perhaps the law would be repealed, perhaps not, but either way he wasn't meant to be a part of it, and sooner or later the Ministry would realize their clerical error and he would be off the hook. He hadn't counted on Granger.

Harry had married Ginny shortly after the war, as had George and Angelina, Percy and the Clearwater girl, Charlie-a fellow dragon-tamer in Romania, and the most likely and viable candidate to marry the young witch Ron-buggering-Weasley who by all rights, should have saved her from this mess had left her two months before in favor of being a professional-failure-Quidditch player for the Tornadoes, which somehow still landed him in bed with a different witch every night. Bloody git.

So she had come to him, and really after having saved him from certain death with some quick-thinking, and her ever-preparedness in the Shrieking shack where the trio had found him that night of the final battle, how could he refuse her? Oh he had certainly thought about it-simply laughing and slamming the door in her face. How in Merlin's name did she know where he lived anyway? Was this what she had saved him from death for? Another moment or two and he might, if Merlin had it in him, have finally been at peace, reunited with Lily. Of course he supposed now that he thought about it, the afterlife could not be all that special, Lily would still have and love that stupid toerag Potter. He sighed again, turning to look out the window at the houses as they passed and the car made it's winding way to his home.

Briefly he contemplated downing enough Firewhiskey at the reception to pretend later that evening, but he doubted it would help turn her chocolate eyes into emeralds, or her crazy brown and blonde locks to red. Probably cause more harm than good. Blessedly unlike previous marriage laws of decades and centuries ago, there were no requirements for them to produce off-spring. Highly encouraged, but not demanded, no deadline except for the first night of marriage. If the pair of them could make it through this one evening, they might be able to live the rest of their lives never needing to so much as touch one another again. A miserable, loveless, ever after to all, Severus thought frowning as he paced, waiting on his young bride who was now changing in his bathroom.


	2. Consumating the Contract

"Professor...S- Severus," came a squeaky, uncertain voice from the toilet.

She was going to have to stop that, at least for tonight, Severus thought darkly, crossing the room. Calling him professor was not going to make sleeping with a former student any easier. Already he felt like a pedophile for admiring her bared shoulder blades as he pushed open the door to inquire as to what she needed.

Buttons. Too many damn buttons and so small. Her wedding dress guaranteed the young witch could not get out of the blasted thing herself Severus thought cursing the dressmaker. He supposed that was meant to be romantic, the groom helping the bride out of her dress, perhaps even taking in her naked body for the first time... What a load of bollocks. Holding back yet another heavy sigh that afternoon Severus began slowly and steadily ridding her if the confines of her dress. She seemed to shudder as he gently eased the now open dress down her shoulders, in what he was sure had to be equal parts terror and revulsion.

"I'll be outside if there's anything else," he said mechanically, not looking at the young witch.

"Severus," she tried uncertainly, clutching the dress tight at her breast to prevent exposure," thank you." Severus merely nodded, she mightn't be thanking him later.

The reception passed for the most part uneventfully for Severus, after their obligatory first dance Hermione made her rounds to speak with each of her guests. Severus having none himself sat quietly out of the way nursing a small glass of Meade and dreading the end of the evening, only speaking once to Potter and Lupin who came to lecture him on treating their golden-girl right, or else. When finally Hermione had spoken to and danced with every guest twice, Severus softly, albeit reluctantly suggested that perhaps it was time to go, by the resident house elf-not that Severus was in any mood to acquaint her with her presence just yet. Best not to get her started on that ridiculous crusade again.

There was no honeymoon to be had. With no love lost between them there seemed little point to it, although Spinner's End had at least been tidied and warmed up a little to accommodate it's new occupant.

Hermione felt sick as they apparated to the abandoned alley way and Snape took her hand leading her back to their house. She was married, soon to have sex with a former professor, Severus Snape no less, who had no more love for her than Harry or his father. There would be no lovemaking, simply the fulfillment of a contract. Except that Severus couldn't deliver...

A ham-handed transition into disrobing some awkward while later, and more than half an hour of what she presumed was meant to warm her up and she was still no more interested, and he was still flaccid. He wasn't that old...or not by wizarding standards at least. She supposed since she was hardly attracted to him it shouldn't bother her that he didn't find her appealing, but somehow it did. Just what was wrong with her, wasn't she a decent-enough looking witch? In a disgusted huff, Severus rolled over to the other side of the bed staring unblinking and unseeing up at the ceiling.

"Maybe a potion..."Hermione suggested softly, staring at him cautiously.

No," Snape barked. The young witch didn't love him, nor he her, and he would not use any potions to change that, not even for one night. Suddenly it occurred to him that she might be questioning his abilities as a lover in general and felt heat creeping up his neck. True he couldn't recall the last time he had been with a woman, but there was certainly nothing wrong with...

"I don't need a potion," he managed finally through gritted teeth, a growl seeming to punctuate every word. "You will have to forgive me if I'm having trouble being inspired by a former student. You may have fantasized about bagging a former professor, but..."

Hermione laughed. "If EVER I thought about getting one of my professors in the sack, it was certainly never you."

"Oh really," Severus replied, sitting up interested. "And which teacher might you have had such sordid designs on then?"

"That's not really any of your concern," Hermione spluttered blushing.

"Oh, but now I'm curious," Severus grinned, rather enjoying making the young witch squirm. "And now I'm your husband, aren't you supposed to share such things with me?"

"This marriage is nothing more than something of convenience, you and I both know that." Severus snorted, there didn't seem to be anything convenient about their sham of a marriage at the moment.

"It was Lupin wasn't it?"

"What?"

"It's always bloody-Lupin. What the hell is so appealing about that damn werewolf," Snape muttered furiously, ignoring her. "Or is it the fact that he's a werewolf," he asked rounding on her suddenly.

"What," Hermione repeated, still blushing and looking appalled.

"Maybe you like the idea of breaking the rules, do you think because he's a werewolf he's better equipped? Maybe he'd be more feral? Do you like the idea of someone taking control, being rough with you?"

"We are not having this conversation," Hermione replied firmly, pulling the covers higher up and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Because it's making you uncomfortable, or because I've hit upon a nerve," Severus asked eyes gleaming. "Seems to me this is a pretty pertinent conversation to have if we plan to consumate this marriage of 'conveince' to satisfy the Ministry's edict."

"I don't care how you go about it, it's not as if either one of us will enjoy it, but at least it won't have to happen again. I just want to be done with it."

"With such a romantic proposal as that, it's a wonder any man could turn you down," Severus sneered.

Hermione let the water run down her body, willing it to wash the evening away. A bath might have been better to soak her aching muscles in, but she couldn't imagine soaking in a pool of the dried blood and semen that now ran down her legs. She felt dirty. But the deed was done. She was now, officially in the Ministry records as Mrs. Hermione Jean Snape.


	3. Sacrifices

Severus lay in bed, waiting for the sound of the water to stop indicating the young witch had finished in the bathroom. No doubt washing away the evidence, and Severus for his part was eager to do the same. At least it was over now. He need never so much as touch the young witch again, and if her silent tears had been any indication, she would hardly be inclined to pine or ask such a thing of him. He rather resented now the house was so small, as it seemed inevitable the two would run into one another, it was impossible to live completely separate lives, under the same roof. And yet, it would be suspicious not to so soon after their nuptials perhaps in several years, they could claim to have grown apart... They could never marry anyone else of course, no wizarding marriage was disolvable the way muggle ones were. This was no sacfrice to him, having never so much as thought of getting married, but for a moment, the briefest blink of an eye, Severus thought he might have felt sorry for the young witch no doubt a sobbing mess in his bathroom, she was young and would most certainly find love, perhaps even more than once, before death found her. Shaking his head to pull himself from his reviere, and hearing the water had stopped Severus crawled from the bed and pulled on his boxers to make the trek across the hall to the bathroom.

Hermione remembered seeing a comfortable looking couch in the library in her brief tour of the house when they had come back before the reception that might make a suitable place to sleep for the evening, or at least until she could make it to Diagon Alley to purchuse a second bed for the empty room upstairs. She didn't know her husband well enough to say for sure whether he would have offered her the bed, but she wasn't about to ask him. Hermione couldn't fathom sleeping in that bed anyway, and certainly not beside Severus.

It wasn't his fault, she tried to remind herself evenly as she attempted to fluff the dusty pillow against the arm of the couch, forcing herself not to cry again. He had never wanted to marry her, and he had saved her from countless other even more disasterous marriages through the Ministry's meddling. She was not the only victim stuck in a loveless marriage. Attempting to distract herself, she began to make a mental list of all the things she needed to do to make the house livable for herself. She wouldn't ask Severus for any money, she had plenty of her own from the war, and her job in Flourish and Blotts.

Bugger, she wouldn't be able to go shopping in Diagon Alley afterall, she was supposed to be on her honeymoon, she would have to research other places to shop. Perhaps she could just shop in London or even Surrey, some of the things she needed, need hardly be magical to be sufficient. How she longed to go back to the shop, dive back into her work collecting new books for them, forget all about the bleak, unhappy home, and surly husband she would return to every night, but the manager none the wiser to the truth of her nuptials had insisted on giving her a full month off from work. What in Merlin's name was she going to do with herself with all that free time?

"Mistress is going to sleep downstairs," a soft voice asked puzzled jostling the young witch from her thoughts so forcefully that she nearly screamed in surprise. "Oh, violet is very sorry to have frightened you Miss," the house elf corrected quickly shrinking away from her slightly. "Violet forgot Master had not introduced us, maybe he did not tell you he had a house elf..."

"No," Hermione replied drawing a breath, and trying to smile at the small creature. "P-Severus must have forgotten."

"Been very busy, with work and the wedding... I am sure he meant to tell you Miss. Violet was just wondering if Misstress might be wanting some proper pillows and blankets."

"I don't want to be any trouble," Hermione hesitated biting her lip.

"No trouble at all Miss, it is Violet's job and duty to master and this house. Violet is happy to take care of the Master and his family." Before Hermione could make so much as another word of protest, the house elf had disappeared with a pop, and reappeared moments later with a comfortable looking pillow and a warm looking comforter.

"It can get cold in the library at night sometimes, Violet could make a fire for you miss." Hermione shook her head.

"Hermione," the young witch replied gently.

"Oh Violet knows your name Miss. Violet knows all about you and your friends, very important to the house-elves, all the brave things you did in the war."

"Please call me Hermione." The houself looked a bit sheepish, wringing her fingers nervously.

"Violet could try," she replied softly. Hermione smiled nodding.

"Does your- Does Severus treat you well," Hermione asked softly. Violet's eyes widened in surprise.

"The master? It isn't proper manners to speak of one's master as such," she replied. "But master has always been most kind to Violet, even when he was a young master." Hermione tried, but couldn't wrap her head around the idea of professor Snape as a young boy, or even a young man. "Are you comfortable miss Hermione?" Better than Mistress, Hermione thought softly, before nodding.

"Yes, thank you very much Violet." The house elf nodded duitifully.

"Did the Master have the bad dream again?"

"I'm sorry," Hermione replied confused.

"Oh, forgive me miss, Violet only thought if you were sleeping in the library the master must be keeping you up with his bad memories. Poor master," Violet whispered shaking her head softly. "If there is nothing else Miss, Violet should go check on him." Hermione nodded feeling a bit sorrier for her former professor as the house elf disappeared once more with a soft pop.


	4. Dreams and Nightmares

It was some time before Severus was finally able to convince the tiny elf that he was alright, and she could safely leave his side. Violet had always been very protective of him since he was a small boy. He suspected the elf felt guilty for not being able to protect her mistress, and made a point to see to it at least her son was well looked after, however misplaced the sense of responsibililty was, it had hardly disappated since he had reached maturity. Truthfully, while the wizard might never admit it, he was rather glad for the company. How absolutely pitiful, to be the wretch who's only source of support, whose only assurance he was loved and cared about came from a family servant.

"Forgive Violet, master, but why is the new mistress sleeping on the couch in the library?"

Ah, Severus had wondered where she had disappeared to after her shower, somehow the library didn't surprise him. Though this arrangement couldn't possibly be permanant. He would have to find some furniture to her taste for the spare room. And if Violet knew where his new bride slept then it followede that she must have tended to her. Not how he had planned on introducing the impetious young witch to the idea of him having a house elf. Yet Violet seemed in decent enough spirits, so she can't have balked too much at the idea of being looked after...

"There's nothing to forgive Violet," he said finally with a little more fondness than any other witch or wizard would have believed the infamous dungeon bat was capable of. "You know you may ask me anything you wish. Miss G- Hermione and I did not marry for love, it was simply the best arrangement for her under the ministry's new law."

"But master will never be able to marry another witch," Violet whispered fearfully.

"I never thought to marry in the first place," Severus shrugged attempting to

"I'm sorry master, for you and for Mistress."

"It won't be like my mother and father Violet. I don't love her, but I would never lay a hand on her," he assured her. "I swear it. Never. Just because Hermione and I don't love one another doesn't mean we can't coexist without throwing spells and dishes at each other."

Violet nodded cautiously. "You were always more like your mother," she agreed softly. "Violet is sorry she couldn't protect you more."

"You did the best you could, and more than anyone could have asked of you, Violet. What's done is done, it does no good to dwell on the past."

"But there are always our dreams," Violet whispered knowingly with large sympathetic eyes.

Yes, Severus thought, there are always those. Briefly he wondered if Violet, or his new wife had regrets, nightmares that plagued them at night.

Hermione changed her mind digging for her wand before lighting a fire in the grate, drawing her blankets tighter into herself and trying to shake off thedeam that had stirred her. A man with gleaming red eyes and slits for a nose laughing over the bodies of so many friends. Tears filled her eyes in spite of herself. They had been lucky, more than, to save so many as they did. Remus and Tonks would live to see Teddy grown, Severus would live to be old... But to what end? To be forced to marry a young woman he couldn't love and so live out the rest of his days, what sort of life was that?

And so many, so full of life with lives cut short, leaving behind heartbroken and shattered families... True she had never been overly fond of Lavender Brown, but she deserved better and in the end had died alone. Mauled to death by Greyback in the midst of the battle in the courtyard. Her body unrecognizable, only her face was unmarred, fixed in her very last terrified scream of pain and horror, just to taunt them. Hermione shuddered. SHe had no doubt her boggart would be something far more real and terrifying than McGonagall and her exam scores now. So much had changed in so few years.

Hermione found her mind returning once more to her new husband, staring up at the ceiling to the room above where he slept. So much had changed, and yet, not enough. Whatever had changed one thing was certain, her new husband would never love her. Hermione fought back tears, as a trembling hand reached up to touch her teeth. _"I see no_ difference," she remembered trembling once more the many times he had proven just how highly he thought of her. No matter of effort and application to his discipline could ever be enough to erase the fact that something fundamental about her offended him. Whether it was her teeth, her bushy hair, Crimson lined robes, her assosiation with Harry Potter, or some other unspoken injustice, Severus Snape barely tollerated her presence. There seemed little chance that any number of years would bring the older wizard around to enjoying her company.

She had never really expected any sort of fairy tale ending, growing up in such dark times she would have counted herself lucky for both her and Ronald to survive the war to live any amount of the rest of their lives together. And yet, when it was all over, when they'd all been declared war heroes, and Ron always-a-sidekick could have his pick of women, he hadn't picked her. No she didn't expect a fairy tale, a prince charming on a white horse, but it would have been nice to at least feel desired, that her husband would think about her, miss her, whenever she was away. Hermione doubted seriously Severus had so much as given her a thought until she had turned up on his doorstep to beg his hand in marriage only a few short weeks ago. She was fairly certain in fact, Severus Snape would have been quite happy to forget all about her, and everyone else from the war and his past, and sink into solitude and obscurity.


End file.
